The Symptoms of Stress: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The symptoms of stress say, "Pay attention!"
It's important to listen to our symptoms of stress. We often ignore the warning signs of stress. Stress symptoms are the body's way of telling us, "Hey, there! Something isn't working quite right in your life and you should try to help yourself feel better ASAP!"
I recommend writing down your particular symptoms of stress. Looking carefully at how stress manifests itself in your body, mind, and life is a great starting point for figuring out your causes of stress. Here are some commonly experienced stress symptoms to get you started. See if you recognize any of these in yourself.
The List Keeps Going...
If you recognize any of these stress symptoms or other physical/emotional changes in yourself, it is important to address them. If your symptoms of stress are chronic, consult with a healthcare professional. Some of the symptoms discussed here can be indicators of serious underlying disease.
Where does all this stress come from?
The causes of stress are numerous and
individual. Thank goodness, however, we are all born hard wired to pay
attention to certain stimuli in the environment. This increased
attention, or stress response, readies us for self-preservation. I was
driving along the other day when suddenly a large rock flew up and hit
my windshield. It was certainly an attention-getter! I instinctively
blinked my eyes and braced the steering wheel. My heart leapt a beat as I
gasped. So, when life throws a rock in your direction, you hope for a
bit of good stress to wake you up and say, "Hello in there! You'd better pay attention to this!"
On
other occasions when survival is not necessarily an issue, however,
individual perception plays a major role. Why does public speaking make
some people hyperventilate at the thought of it while others shine in
the spotlight? Perception really does account for our realities. That's
why it's important to have an understanding about what causes stress in your life.
I urge you to take control of your stress symptoms. You can start right now. If you're willing to put in the work to help yourself, you can feel better. Please consider subscribing to The Know Stress Press. When you do, you'll gain immediate access to your free stress management workbook as well as an hypnosis session I developed myself to combat stress.